Rum Cake and Christmas go together like peanut butter and jelly. Like peas and carrots. Like halloween and pumpkin. Like Valentine’s Day and chocolate. At least in my book. Rum cake always appears on the holiday dessert buffet and always is one of the desserts that disappears the quickest.
And this rum cake recipe that my friend, Ree includes in her newest cookbook, A Year of Holidays, will surely become a favorite, even for those folks that swear rum cake isn’t one of their favorites. Promise.
Even though we still have a few weeks to go before the Christmas parties officially begin, when I saw the rum cake recipe in Ree’s book, I knew I couldn’t wait to try it. Although, let me tell you, it was hard to decide which recipe I wanted to try first.
As with the recipes she shares in her other cookbooks, on her blog, and on television, they all are amazing. You certainly can’t go wrong with any of Ree’s recipe, in my opinion. Or my husband’s opinion. Or my son’s opinion. Hey, we’re a pretty opinionated bunch when it comes to recipes, ya know.
And this rum cake?
Well, just like I thought, it makes an easy, yet oh so elegant dessert that will be perfect for sharing with family and friends during your holiday entertaining as well as giving to neighbors as a gift.
If it makes it out of the house, that is. Talk about deeee-licious!!!
Here’s Ree’s Christmas Rum Pudding Cake Recipe. Believe me when I say, it will be a Christmas creation everyone will request!
- For the Rum Cake:
- ½ cup lightly packed brown sugar
- ½ cup finely chopped pecans
- 1 box yellow cake mix
- 1 (3.4-ounce) package vanilla cook-and-serve pudding mix
- 4 eggs
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup canola oil
- ½ cup dark rum
- For the Glaze:
- ¾ cup (1½ sticks) butter
- 1½ cups sugar
- ¼ cup water
- ¾ cup dark rum
- Preheat oven to 325º F and thoroughly grease a Bundt pan. Sprinkle the brown sugar and chopped pecans in the bottom of the pan. This will serve as the topping of the cake when the cake is turned out of the pan.
- Add cake mix and pudding mix to the bowl of an electric mixer. Crack in the eggs and add water, canola oil, and rum, Mix the batter until it is smooth and totally combined.
- Pour batter into the prepared Bundt pan and bake the cake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until a skewer or long toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the middle of the cake and removed.
- When the cake has about 10 minutes remaining cooking time, make the glaze.
- Melt the butter and sugar together in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Then add water and bring the mixture to a boil for 4 to 5 minutes, or until thick. Carefully add the rum to the mixture and cook for 1 more minute. (Take care when adding the alcohol to the mixture, especially if cooking over an open flame.)
- Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool in the pan for 5 minutes.
- Use a skewer or long toothpick and poke holes all over the surface of the cake.
- Drizzle half the glaze over the surface of the cake, then let the cake sit for about 10 to 15 minutes to allow the cake to absorb the glaze.
- Carefully invert the cake onto a serving platter and very slowly drizzle the rest of the glaze over the top of the cake, giving the cake a chance to absorb as much as possible.
- Let the cake sit for a couple of house to make sure it's really moist and rummy.
- Slice and serve.
Speaking of Ree’s fabulous and festive new cookbook, she’s providing THREE lucky members of the Add a Pinch family with an autographed copy of A Year of Holidays. I can’t even begin to tell you how much I love her newest book. Filled with 140 of her signature step-by-step beautifully photographed guided recipes, Ree’s menus and recipes included in this book will definitely make your holiday celebrations a piece of cake! (Get it? Ha!)
It is definitely a must-have, year-round cookbook that will barely have time to make it back onto the bookshelf you’ll use it so much!
Giveaway
To enter to win an autographed copy of Ree’s A Year of Holidays, just leave me a comment telling me your favorite recipe of Ree’s.
Congratulations to the following winners:
#1275 – B. Hannaford
#1186 – Debbie Rogers
#766 – Donna P Upnorth
You can also get a few extra entries with the following, if you wanna:
- Follow Add a Pinch on Pinterest
- Follow Add a Pinch on Twitter
- Follow Add a Pinch on Google+
- Follow Robyn Stone on Google+
- Subscribe by Email
Then head back to this post and leave a comment that you did.
This giveaway ends November 7th at 11:59 PM eastern. The winners will be announced sometime the following day!
Ree is also sharing her beautiful book with a few of my friend’s and their readers as well. Just hop on over to these blogs for even more opportunities to win an autographed copy and see some of Ree’s beautiful recipes come to life!
Bev Cooks made Chipotle Chicken Chili
Recipe Girl made Pecan Pie
She Wears Many Hats made Perfect Cream Scones
Reluctant Entertainer made Mulled Apple Cider
Two Peas and Their Pod made Dulce De Leche Brownies
i am baker made Dr. Pepper Cake
Love y’all tons! Hope you love this cake and Ree’s book as much as I do!
Robyn xo
“Knock You Naked Brownies” – everywhere I take them, I come home with a humorous story that has been created from introducing this dessert. They are much enjoyed, the recipe is always desired and they create quite a laugh!
All the recipes I’ve tried have been wonderful!
I CAN’T EVEN CHOOSE ONE SINCE ALL YOUR RECIPES ARE EASY AND DELICIOUS. HOWEVER, I HAVE TO VOTE FOR BLACKBERRY COBBLER SINCE IT IS BOTH SO EASY AND YUMMY. THANKS FOR ALL YOUR HELP REE. WATCH ALL YOUR SHOWS OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
i just like seeing her make eveything the rolls look so yummy!! also her cakes including the rum cake but carrot cake just looks so yum!!!
everything she makes is so good i like to see her make cakes & pies yum!!!!
I love your pizza and my grand children love helping make them thanks for all the short cuts also
I loved her episode where it was Todd’s 7th birthday and she made mac and cheese and sliders with all of the fixins. YUMM!
In your ingredients you say that the type of pudding to use is cook and serve but Ree’s says INSTANT. Did you try it with the cook type pudding mix?
I love the way Pioneer woman sautes onions in her black iron skillet . They alway look so good and sweet.
Watching her has taught me to work will mine longer and get them to the just right stadge.
Can I Use rum extract instead of rum liquor? I don’t drink and I don’t think I’d like it with the real deal! Lol!
what cake mix is yellow cake and also what do I use for cook and serve instant pudding – love receipe, want to try it,
Can I use captain Morgan spiced rum instead of dark rum?
I’ve never tried it, so I’m not sure how it tastes. I hope you enjoy the cake! Thanks so much!
This has a really strong rum flavor. I can’t eat it. If I try it again, I would reduce the amount of rum in the glaze.
Everything turned out fine with the cake except… The pecan/brown sugar crumble stuck to the bottom of the pan and took some cake with it. I had to scrape out the crumble and stick it on top of the cake. The pan was well buttered. How can I avoid this in future?
Hi! You may want to try a baking spray, such as Baker’s Joy, next time since the butter didn’t work well for you.